The Temple's Guard
by Bonded Nerdlings
Summary: When Fury sends the team to a remote temple in Brazil, they thought it would be a breeze collecting the temple idol that Taskmaster is after... Only to find that the idol is guarded by someone who is defiantly not human. The only trouble is- will the temple's guardian be a friend or a foe?
1. Prologue

**Authors' Note:  
For those unaware, this account is shared by two people (Spawn of Nerdom and Clockwork's Apprentice). This account is for stories that we write together.  
~The Nerdlings**

**P.S. Please review!**

**Title: **The Temple's Guard  
**Summary: **When Fury sends the team to a remote temple in Brazil, they thought it would be a breeze collecting the temple idol that Taskmaster is after... Only to find that the idol is guarded by someone who is defiantly not human. The only trouble is- will the temple's guardian be a friend or a foe?**  
Rated: **T**  
Genre:** Friendship/Adventure**  
Disclaimer: **_We do not own nor claim The Ultimate Spider-Man, but we do own our OCs.**  
**_

**Prologue:**

**Third Person:  
**She was a huntress on the hunt- prowling through the jungle. She was watching- she was always watching. It was her job, her solemn duty to watch, listen, and _protect._

After all, she deserved the fate that she had. She deserved to be there until her days were over- protecting that idol. She was Kato Skrapi, first born of her parents, and a descendant of the idol's makers. So just like her ancestors before her, she will protect that idol with her life. It was an honor to do and she would do it gladly.

She might have just recently been freed from her personal hell- that same hell that kept her from protecting the idol. Some people- some _humans_- might think that it was a bit pointless to get free only to go to protect some idol. Some might say that protecting the idol might be worthless, or that it might be some type of different cage. However, it wasn't like to her. She had so much freedom- so much more than she had in the past.

Besides, it wasn't like she had anything else to do anything. She didn't have a family. She didn't have friends. This was her life and she accepted that happily.

* * *

"Okay, team, listen up," Nick Fury, stated, "Taskmaster is back, and he's after a priceless powerful idol, and we need to get it before him."

Nova scoffed.

"Sounds easy enough."

"I wasn't finished. I have personally asked Captain America, Wolverine, Iron-"

"Sorry to disappoint, Fury, but I'll be filling in for all of them."

A second later a girl-one of the new Avengers-literally dropped down from the ceiling. She had midnight blue wings, calico fur, fangs, green eyes, a panther like tail, and a metal arm on her left side, with her dirty blonde hair put into a ponytail, her long bangs expertly covering her left eye. She wore black combat boots with white shoe laces, blue skinny jeans, white finger-less gloves, and a black tank top with the white half of the Yin-Yang symbol.

"Before you ask, Cap is undercover, Wolverine is doing some X-Men business, Stark is in the middle of bringing the HQ's systems back online-which is top priority-and Thor is in Asgard. Creature would be here too but he's on an inter-dimensional crisis with the Fantastic Four, so you're just gonna have to deal with it."

The team all stared at her in shock at how straight forward and monotone she was being with the _director of S.H.I.E.L.D. _She turned to them with a look of utter boredom as she sighed,

"You owe me for this, Fury. I would be in Asgard with Thor if it wasn't for you. Anyway," she turned towards the team, "Name's Animal, Alex, call me fur ball or make an animal joke and it will be the last thing you do."

They all laughed nervously.

"So," Spider-Man said, "I'm your-"

"-Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, that's Nova, Power Man, White Tiger, and Iron Fist."

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Tiger and Power Man looked irritated at how annoyingly confident and rude she was acting. Nova was laughing and Iron Fist was really just c_hill. _

"Question," Nova said as he raised a finger and pointed to the metallic arm, "How did you lose your arm?"

Alex glared and flew up to him getting dangerously close. Her face was just inches away from his. Her eyes narrowed.

"If you want to live to see tomorrow," she spoke in deathly low tone," Then I suggest you never ask that question again."

Then, as if nothing had happened, she flew away from him and turned to Fury.

"So, when do we leave? I'm starting to get bored."

"Now."


	2. Travel Fair

**Chapter 1- Travel Fair:**

**Third Person:**

Animal wasn't too happy that she had to work with a bunch of 'amateurs.' She was used to working with the big-shots, not this 'little league.' Still, at the same time, it was kind of nice to be working with a group in her age group.

Then again, they weren't really her age. They were somewhat normal teenagers with actual lives while Alex was-at the most-only five years old. Her only friends were the supers in tights.

"How much longer," Nova whined as he almost tripped over yet another tree root.

Alex sighed in frustration. They had been hiking for two hours through the thick jungle that is Brazil, and that was the forty-second time that he had asked that.

"I swear, if you ask a forty-third time, you're going to find yourself in the mouth of a jaguar."

"What's her problem," he muttered to Spidey. Alex's eye twitched in annoyance as Tiger elbowed Nova in the ribs.

A few minutes later Spider-Man was next to Alex.

"Stand too close and you might get cut," she said, bringing out her machete to gut some of the thick foliage.

He laughed nervously and sighed.

"Look, Nova is just being Nova, and I'm sorry. We're all just kind of new to jungles and idols and-"

"There's no need to apologize, Nova needs to do that himself. Besides, I've been through worse."

Spider-Man looked at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed.

"It's a little more complicated than name calling and gossip. Let's just say the world isn't a pretty place, and it probably never will be. Then again, you probably already knew that...Parker."

Spider-Man gaped at her.

"H-How do you know?"

"Not only does the Ringleader have virtually unlimited resources on everyone super-good and bad-and that includes secret identities and origin stories. And I had nothing else to do so I hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. They still haven't figured out it's me yet."

Spider-Man cringed at the mention of origin stories. It reminded him all to well of Deadpool. That was not something he wanted to repeat. Then he looked harder at Alex. She had the metal arm, and he could see gray instead of green in the eye under her bangs.

_Hm, _he thought, _I wonder what hers is._

"So what about your story? I'm sure that's pretty interesting."

Alex winced on the inside. If there was one thing she really didn't like talking about it was her past. She was still kind of surprised the Avengers let her join the team, despite all that had happened. She sighed.

"Maybe later. Right now the sun is setting, so we should set up camp. We'll be at the temple sometime tomorrow."

A few minutes later of waking in silence and they found a spot that was flat and dry enough to lay on. Alex, Spidey, and Iron Fist set up camp while Tiger got water and Power Man got food. Nova was told to sit at a tree and not piss off any of the wild life.

"When will the food be prepared," Fist asked as Alex stirred the concoction.

"In about twenty seconds. After dinner you hit the hay."

Iron Fist noticed how she had said 'you' and not 'we'.

_Hmm, _he thought, _Perhaps she is not a sleeper like the rest of us._

* * *

Kato sniffed the air as she woke with a start. She growled, _another intruder- I'll give them hell... They woke me up, after all._

She darted up from her small sleeping mat. The mat that she had been sleeping one for the past year. It was pretty small, being just a small mat that could be easily portable. She did that on purpose. She had to make it look like no one lived in the temple so she was careful.

After all, if people knew that someone lived in the temple, then it might take away that extra creepy factor that she loved to mess around with- it was so simple to scare people off when they walk into a creepy, untouched temple. If they weren't scared off by a few noises, they were often scared off by her growls or hisses. Sometimes, she had to just dart across the top of a few pillars. Not once had she let people fully see her. She didn't want to be captured- not again.

She stuck to the shadows as she dashed around, silent as a trained predator. Her bare feet didn't even made a single noise. She jumped and speedily climbed up a pillar as soon as she got outside. She then jumped into the trees, following the scent.

When the trail stopped, she looked down. She spotted a small little Brazilian girl and an older boy- presumably a sister and brother.

Kato found herself faintly smiling, her previous anger gone at the sight of small children. It was nice to see that humans stuck with their families just as her kind did- though she doubted that the humans had a close bond as her species did.

When she got a closer look at the humans, she wondered what they were doing there until she recognized them. _Ah, it's them... rather pleasant really._

The two humans were Yara and Davi- two Brazilian children from a nearby village. Yara's dark eyes could be seen beneath her black bangs and they were wide from curiosity and fear- Kato didn't blame the small eight year old as it was night. Everyone knew that the jungles were even more dangerous at night. Fourteen-year-old Davi looked around carefully, pushing his younger sister behind him protectively. His black hair was short and his dark skin was glistening with sweat.

"_Come on, Yara, Grandfather said that we should give an offering to her so protects us.__"_

_"She's good?"_

_"Yes, Yara, she is good. Grandfather said that some in the village believe her to a be a goddess since the temple has always been protected."_

_"But our village wasn't always protected?"_

_"Right, but when we had left those offerings last year at the temple, the protecting started so what do we have to do?"_

_"Give more offerings?"_

_"Right. She's a good creature, Yara, we should respect her and give her whatever she needs. She deserves it for protecting us."_

Kato couldn't help but swell with praise- thus was a trait shared by her people. They loved the praise and to be praised like a Brazilian protector sure was something.

Of course, Kato knew what the children were talking about. The village near the temple was superstitious and believed that the temple (which was older than their village so they were unsure how it came to be) was protected by_ o guarda do templo (the temple's guard)_. In order for the temple to stay protected, which they wanted since they knew that with the protector also protected the village and scared away bad men.

While protecting the village wasn't something that Kato planned to do or signed up for, it was something that she was proud of. It gave her life a bit more meaning and it was worth it since the village used to live in fear. Now the village lived with peace of mind- even if she didn't let them see her. At least, they didn't see her in her Katojns form.

However, since it they were superstitious people, they believed that the creature (or some called her a spirit) would only protect them if given offerings. Kato wasn't complaining since the offering was food- sometimes it was fresh fish, a live goat tied to a tree, or fruit. Though sometimes they brought things like water to her or something festive like beads.

There offerings were once a month, so Kato often had to hunt for food or water herself, or she visited the village in her human form.

She sniffed the air again as the children (well a child and a teenager) set down a bowl of cheese bread and said a quick prayer over the food- their traditional way of making sure that the food would be seen and eaten by the protector only.

_They must hurry, otherwise something bad might just happen..._

Just as she thought that, a jaguar jumped out from the bushed. It circled around the frightened children. Kato jumped down to ground, staying hidden in the bushes as she growled and hissed at the wild cat.

Davi and Yara clung to each other, frightened for their lives. Yet, just when they thought they were done for, a growling and hissing noise came from the bushes across from them and the wild cat.

The jaguar seemed slightly frightened as it growled back at the unknown threat. After what seemed to be a combination of growls and hisses from the bushes, the jaguar leaped away and disappeared through the jungle.

Davi was thankful as he hugged his little sister tightly. Though it was short-lived when he remembered that whatever scared a jaguar was still in front of them, hidden.

Two bright yellow feline eyes stared back at him through the shadows, but it didn't seem malevolent. It seemed sentient as the two stared at each could make out the darker shadows that shaped its body- it was feline, yet oddly human as well.

Yara stared as well and something in her told her that it would be all right._  
_

"Thank you, temple guard," Yara said cutely as she bowed.

Davi looked at his younger sister in shock and then he backed away as the bushed ruffled and the creature seemed to bow back as its eyes lowered with the darker shadows.

Davi quickly bowed before grabbing his sister's wrist and quickly left.

Kato watched them retreat, _No, thank you for the cheese bread._


	3. A Few Visitors

**Chapter 2- A Few Visitors****  
**

**Third Person:  
**Kato was was sure to wrap her head with cloth as she pulled up the hood over it as well. She was currently in her human form so the red fur, claws, cat ears, tail, and yellow eyes were replaced by red hair, somewhat pale skin, sort of long _human _nails, human ears, and blue eyes. The tail was completely gone.

She wore basic clothing that she had stolen from the village- cloth pants and a basic cloth shirt with a hood. As much as she hated to steal, she did what she needed to in order to survive. Though that didn't mean that she was barbaric. After all, she did live in society (to a degree) before she was captured... Granted she did go 'total animal' for a little bit while in captivity.

She shook her head. There was no use for her living in the past. _Carpe Diem,_ she thought grimly, _even i__f I don't really have much to do in the present._

Either way, today was supply today. She did enjoy that cheese bread, but she had to get some more food. Her metabolism was a bit too quick sometimes. She wiggled her toes slightly, feeling the dirt and mud of the jungle wriggle between them. She hated shoes- shoes confined her feet and threw off her balance. Besides, her feet were made differently from a normal human's. Her feet were stronger and made for running and jumping without protection.

She made her way through the jungle with cat-like ease and grace, jumping from tree to tree. As she got closer to the village, she made her way on foot on the ground.

The village was small and humble. It wasn't anything fancy and the people lived on basic necessities. There were small huts everywhere, small little market stations that had things like food, water, clothing, fabrics, beads and more.

Kato liked the village. It reminded her so much of a traditional Katojns _tribu (Tribe). _She took in all the sights and sounds, but did her best to keep her head down as to not draw too much attention to herself. She stopped for a moment as she smelled the air.

_Someone is here, someone... no more than just one person... Six people... All smell human- to a degree... Two female, three males...One smells like bugs, pollution, and sweat... No they all smell like sweat, they aren't used to the jungle most likely... only two of them smell clean... The clean one smells like... human but there's something off- something small is off, almost a feline smell... The other clean one smells like so many animals and metals at once... I don't like it... Those two are female... One male smells cleaner than the rest, smells metallic sort of, and also smells like something else I can't define... One male I can't smell anything besides a bit of sweat and that he's a male... One male smells like a lot of chemicals, some other materials I can't identify... odd... _

She made sure to keep her guard up and made a mental note to hurry with the supplies to get back to the temple. She needed to protect that idol.

* * *

"Hurry up," Nova whined.

"Can it, Bucket Head," Alex shot back.

"I'm serious. You know what-why don't I just-"

He was cut off by Alex putting her metal hand over his mouth.

"I said can it. There's someone here that smell like a feline and human at the same time-and no, Tiger, it's not you. Although it is a female. Also, there's a faint scent of cheese bread."

They all looked at her a little surprised.

"Do you smell anything else," Power Man asked.

Alex sniffed the air a few times before answering.

"Yeah. There's a village nearby, a couple miles at most. We can talk to the man in charge there."

"Don't we get a say in this," Nova demanded.

Alex, who had had her fair share of Nova, scoffed.

"Okay? You want a choice-fine. Would you rather run ahead into a possible threat without knowing any weaknesses or would you rather get some type of clue on what she's capable of so we can see how much of a threat she is?"

Nova opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again.

"Fine," he huffed, "But this better be quick."

About half an hour later they were in the heart of the village looking for the chief.

"Nova, fly high enough to get a better loo but not high enough to be spotted by anyone in the jungle," Alex instructed.

He nodded and flew just under the trees height. A few minutes later he came back down.

"Nothing. They all look the same, but there was a supply truck."

Alex nodded her thanks and walked in that direction, leaving the team to follow her.

When they reached the supply truck, the scent hit Alex in the face like Thor's hammer. She could smell the cat-human hybrid _very_ close by. Most likely in this crowd of people, but why? Well for food obviously, but she smelled more human than feline-in fact her scent was all over the village. Alex growled. It was a growl like several animals put together, so her lowest was pretty loud.

A few people backed away in fear while a couple more put there hands on their weapons.

Alex sighed.

_It's always like this, _she thought.

_"Look," _she said in Portuguese, "_I apologize for the scare. We're super heroes from America, and we wish to speak to the person in charge."_

Most of the men relaxed a little bit, but a few brought up there weapons and pointed them in her face. That did nothing to her emotionless face. She put her hands up in mock surrender and spoke in a more soothing voice.

_"Please, may we speak with him? It is of utmost urgency."_

A second later, a man in tribal garment around his bottom and beads covering his neck and arms came by. The most interesting thing was his giant feathery hat.

Alex bowed and motioned for the team to do the same.

_"Greetings," _the man said in a cheery tone, _"To what do we owe the pleasure of superheroes visiting the village?"_

Nova sighed in annoyance. He couldn't understand a single word they were saying and that made him more than annoyed. He was sure the rest of his team felt the same.

_"We have come to take obtain the idol. There is a madman known as Taskmaster that will use it for evil. We just want to keep it in a more secure place," _Iron Fist said, stepping closer.

Alex nodded her agreement while the chief looked appalled by their request.

_"N-no! We need that idol for the protection of this village, along with the temple guardian!"_

Alex and Fist's eyes widened slightly at this.

"_We understand, and we could give you protection as well. Could you tel us more about this temple guardian?"_

He shook his head in disdain.

_"Sadly, I do not. But there are a few people in the village who bring the Guardian offerings. The two that go the most are two kids called Davi and Yara."_

Alex gave him a soft smile and thanked him for his kindness. A few minutes later they were back in the heart of the village, looking for the two called Davi and Yara.

"I see you are fond of the chief," Iron Fist said as he walked next to Alex. She hadn't even noticed the small smile that hadn't left her face.

"Not really, I just have a soft spot for kids. I always kind of have but I don't bother getting to close anymore."

Iron Fist shot her a sad look.

"Why not?"

"Not only did I get hurt, but so did they. It was the kind of hurt that didn't get better. So, I only get as close as I need to."

He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"It can always get better. Even more so when you're surrounded by friends."

She smiled and thought for a moment before asking,

"What do teens usually do for fun? I mean-I usually only hang out with the Avengers, and the only kids on that team are Axel, me, and our friend Gear."

He gave her a thoughtful smile.

"Perhaps we can find out after the mission. Right now, we must find the ones called...David and Yari?"

Alex smirked.

"Davi and Yara," she corrected. Behind them Nova scoffed.

"Animal and Iron Fist, sitting in a tree," he sang, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

About a minute later he was on his back gasping for air with Alex standing over him.

"My patience is wearing thin and by 'wearing thin' I mean you're one smart-ass comment away from being bitch-slapped so hard not even Google will be able to find you."

The whole team-minus Iron Fist, who was just looking amused-burst out laughing.

"We should use that one!" Spidey said through laughter.

"Wait," Alex said as she sniffed the air, "She's nearby... I can smell her."

The team started to look around- but to no avil. The only thing that seemed out of place was one person that only Iron Fist noticed. It was a woman, he could tell that much, but he couldn't tell anything else. She seemed out of place, however, when she looked at him in the eyes- he saw the blue eyes staring back at him. _Blue eyes are very uncommon in these parts._ A second later, the girl ran off at a high speed. Before Iron Fist could bring attention to it from the rest of his team, a little girl, maybe nine, ran into Alex.

The girl started speaking madly fast Portuguese that nobody but Alex could understand her. A second later an older boy came up, he was probably around fourteen. He looked a lot like the girl.

_"Would you by any chance be Davi and Yara?"_

They nodded.

_"Good. We need to ask you some questions about the Temple Guardian."_

Davi and Yara shared a look, before they nodded once again. Iron Fist stepped forward slightly to ask the first question,

"_Why do you give the Temple Guardian offerings?"_

Nova huffed,

"Well, what's he saying?"

"He's asking about why they give the Temple Guardian offerings," Alex translated.

"_She protects the village that way," _Davi answered, "_She's good though... __Please don't hurt her, she saved us when we went into the jungle."_

Alex translated what the boy had said so Nova and the others could understand.

"Weird, if she's a hero, why does she want offerings," Spidey mused.

"Well, could you turn down free food," Tiger answered.

"_What does she look like,"_ Alex asked.

"_I don't know, we didn't see her. We were going to be attacked by a jaguar when something in the bushes scared it off- she had yellow eyes and was feline... We knew it was the Temple Guardian. She scared off the jaguar and saved us and she's scared off so many bad men that come to our village..."_

"Well," Nova asked.

"The boy said that the guardian protects the village and saved them from a jaguar. He doesn't know what she looks like, just feline," Iron Fist translated, "Rather interesting since Alex had smelled a female feline earlier."

"I still smell her," Alex added, "Her scent is all over this village so she must come here often... I just don't know how she stays hidden from the villagers."

"_We won't hurt her,"_ Iron Fist said to the children, "_We thank you for your help."_

Davi smiled and started to leave with his little sister when Yara turned back to them,

"_Promise?"_

_"We promise."_


	4. The Temple's Guard

**Chapter 3- The Temple's Guard**

**Third Person:**

Kato prowled through the temple on guard. When she had seen those strangers in the village, she knew that they were not normal. Actually, she knew they weren't exactly normal the second that she had smelt them.

When she had overheard them that they were after the idol, she had ran straight to the temple. Though a part of her told her that they weren't the enemies- that they were good. They even said that they were superheroes from America.

She missed America. She missed that freedom that was in America and she missed her family that had lived there. _I never really understood it, why father would let the Brazilian tribe here guard the idol instead of guarding it himself... Disrespectful, shameful..._ It wasn't like that part mattered much, however. She didn't have a family now- or friends for that matter. She was alone- just she, herself, and her.

At least she was there to guard the idol so the Brazilians had left to their own tribe- which was on the other side of the jungle entirely and at least a week's trip.

Though, she never recalled any superheroes back in America- that was years ago. Then again, she did live in a rather remote town in Arizona.

_Superhero or not, they will not get this idol and neither will the so-called Taskmaster. This idol belongs to the village and it is my duty to protect it so protect it I shall._

She sniffed at the air. They were at the temple and it was show time. _'Kato, don't you dare, they might be friendly,__' _she could almost hear her friend's voice_. _Kato shook her head, she had to stop thinking like that- her friend was gone and wouldn't... _couldn't_ come back, not any time soon and not ever.

Still, maybe she should take that advice. With a growl erupting from her throat, she frowned. _I hated it when she was right... Maybe I can just scare them a bit..._

* * *

"Look! We're almost there," Spider-Man shouted in glee. He started cheering more but was quickly shut up by Animal.

"Do you want to let everyone in a ten mile radius to know we're here," she hissed.

He gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of is neck.

"Uh...Sorry?"

Animal rolled her eyes and trudged ahead.

"No wonder Hawkeye thought you were a little annoying," she muttered, "You don't know how to keep your mouth shut."

Tiger glared at the Avenger. Just because she was in the 'Big League' didn't mean she got to treat them like that. What gave her the right? She was kicked out of her thoughts by a growling noise, and a second later a black panther jumped out of the bushes, blocking their path to the temple.

Animal and the panther hissed and roared at each other until the panther backed off slightly. Then he lunged for Spider-Man, but never made it. While the cat was in mid-air Animal had jumped up and kicked its head. When the panther staggered, trying to get back on its feet, Animal hissed again, her elf-like ears flattening against the sides of her head.

That all happened in about two minutes, and they were all a little impressed by the fighting skills she possessed.

"God, if T'Challa finds out about that I'll never be allowed back in Wakanda."

"Wait," Spider-Man said, "Do you mean T'Challa as in king of Wakanda as in the Black Panther?"

Animal nodded and stopped walking when all of them heard growling and hissing noises. She sniffed the air and scowled.

"The guardian is close. Don't let the creepy noises stop you and keep on your guard. We're going inside now."

The temple itself was quite large, and reminded all of them of the Mayan temples.

"What if the guardian attacks," Tiger asked.

Alex sniffed.

"Her scent is stronger here, and we're on her territory. She knows this place the best and will use that to her advantage. If she attacks then we only want to fight to defend ourselves, understood?"

She shot a glance at Nova, who was being used as a human flashlight.

They all nodded. She was, after all, their ears and nose while they were down there. Spider-Man assumed that to be the Wolverine part. Also, she was smart and cunning, which was Iron Man and Captain America. She was like a mixture of all the Avengers.

_Maybe that's her back story, _Spider-man thought.

He was interrupted in his thoughts as there was more growling and hissing. The sound of feet scattering across the floor.

"Whoa," Nova said as a shadow rushed across the dark temple.

Kato watched from the shadows as she sat perched on top of a pillar, her head tilted slightly in curiosity. She should have known that they wouldn't have scared easily, but she had to protect that idol. Though, she could smell small bits the blood of a panther on the one that they called Animal- she wasn't too happy about that. _Still, _she thought, _a rather interesting group... exciting that's for sure... and they might be fun to fight..._

"Don't be scared," Animal hissed at them, "It's the temple guardian... she's here."

"We mean no harm," Iron Fist said as he raised his hands.

None of them knew what to really expect the Temple Guard to do, act, or even how she looked like. All they knew was that she wasn't to be messed with, they were in her temple, and she was just protecting the idol and the village- they also knew that she had feline DNA somewhere in her.

Though, would she be like Tiger? Or was she more like Animal? Did she look like a cat or was she humanoid? Was she even human?

They doubted that she was. The villagers spoke of the Temple Guard for centuries- so was that her the whole time? If so, why did she just starting to protect the village? There were many unanswered questions.

"_You can't have the idol,"_ a purr-like, smooth feminine and feline voice whispered through the the temple.

"We just need to protect it," Spider-man said, "A villain's after it and-"

"_I can protect it myself," _the voice interrupted, "_and __you still can't have it."_

A second later, a figure emerged from the shadows. She was shorter than Animal, being roughly 5 feet and 7 inches. She was covered in dark, blood red fur from head to toe and two cat ears were on her head along with a tail. She wore only dark brown clothing- a short top and short pants. Yet, she wore no shoes, showing that her feet were human- besides the fur and claws- yet she was standing on her toes. Her nails were like claws- longer than a human's, black, and pointed. Animal could smell a bit of poison on them.

Her yellow eyes were narrowed at them and they noticed the scar on her left eye.

"I will protect that idol if it's the last thing I do... Now, I'll ask you, are you friend or foe?"


	5. Protector

**Chapter 4-Protector**

**Third Person**

"I will protect that idol if it's the last thing I do...So I ask, are you friend or foe?"

Animal stepped forward, her emotionless face never wavering.

"We're friends, and we can help you protect the idol. To be completely honest I want nothing to do with a paper weight, but we need to keep it away from a super villain."

Without another word the Guard charged.

"You insult the idol, and you insult my ancestors and I."

She jumped and Spider-Man shot his web at her, missing greatly, thanks to the girl's agility. She went straight for Animal.

"Stay back, team. I'll handle this," Animal ordered.

The team watched as Animal and the Guard fought. Alex blocked every move her opponent made, only wanting to _defend_ and not _offend._ The Guard was no amateur to fighting, however, and was able to get in a few punches.

"I did not mean to offend," Animal said, trying to smooth things over.

The guard stopped fighting and backed away, going into a defensive stance.

"Why do you seek the idol," the guard demanded.

"To keep it out of the hands of a madman. You think this is hard, Taskmaster can use these moves by just looking at you fight, and I'm not even giving it my all."

"Then that makes two of us that wasn't giving it all."

Iron Fist was astonished that neither of the girls weren't even trying. He could identify a few fighting styles, but that changed as they got deeper into the fight. He was seeing fighting styles he had never even heard of before, and it amazed him. He looked towards his fellow team members that had the faces of the shock that he felt.

Power Man observed the girl that was the temple's guard. She was about their age and obviously a bit more animal than Tiger. Yet, the girl's eyes showed years of fighting, pain, and a story waiting to be told- a lot like Animal's in fact. Yet, the guard also showed something else that Animal's eyes didn't show- knowledge about something that everyone else didn't know about.

"We only wish to help," Animal told her, as the fight smoothed to a stop, "We want to protect the idol as much as you."

"Very well," the guard dropped her stance, "But I wish to know your names."

"We're part of SHIELD," Spider-man introduced, "I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-man, that's Power Man, Iron Fist, White Tiger, and Animal. Oh, and the bucket head is Nova."

"Hey, watch it, web-head," Nova protested.

"You misunderstand," she said amused, "I didn't ask for your titles and I don't know of anything named SHIELD... I asked for your names."

"Well, our names are kind of secret," White Tiger explained, "It's dangerous for people to know- why else would we be wearing a mask?"

The guard looked White Tiger over,

"You smell of feline and human, interesting that you are like me... But if those are the names you want to be called, then I guess it's all right... My name's Kato Skrapi, daughter to the _Skrapi_ clan, and guardian of the idol."

Animal glared slightly. Spider-man scratched his head,

"Whoa, hold up, how's Tiger more like you than Animal?"

"Tiger is feline," Kato explained with a slight chuckle, "There she is like me even if she is human. Animal is... animal. She reeks of so many different things that it's almost painful to smell."

At that moment, Kato started to sniff the air at the same time that Animal did.

"I can hear someone, nearby," Kato said, "Male, smells... powerful, but human. Simple enough."

"Taskmaster," Alex continued, "He's here..."

Deep growls came from both Animal and Kato. Kato, Animal, and the team moved into a defensive stance.

Spider-Man glanced at Animal and noticed her eyes that had gone from normal to slit pupils. She sniffed again.

"Catnip...That stuff is like a drug for me...I can get just as good as drunk by just being in a few feet of it."

Kato nodded in understanding- she had smelt the catnip as well. Though she was smart enough to not smell it anymore. Instead, she breathed through her mouth- slowly and silently as a way of decreasing the catnip's effects. Though she could feel her already slitted pupils getting larger.

A few seconds later a bag was thrown and Animal hissed, jumping onto one of the pillars. A second later, her eyes were drooping and her grip loosened as she fell, landing on all fours. She sniffed again and charged into the darkness. She might have been drunk but she still knew her goal. He was, after all, just a few feet away.

"It's been a long time, Spider-Man," Taskmaster said, taking out his sword and sending it right through Animal's metallic arm, inches away from the shoulder.

She snarled and twisted her body so she could kick Taskmaster in the face-which she did. It sounded excruciatingly painful, and Iron Fist almost felt sorry for him as he landed on the floor with a thud. Then he noticed Alex's twitching and snarling. Animal was crouched down, not paying attention to her somewhat hurt arm as she twitched and snarled.

Kato did her best to not breath through her nose- the catnip would effect her a lot worse than it would effect Animal. She noticed Animal's reaction and scowled._ What an idiot. She doesn't know that she shouldn't breath their her nose so she can't smell it. I mean, it does still have an effect, but not nearly as bad._

Kato recalled the last time she got her 'paws' on a small bag of catnip. She acted like she was a doped-up whore.

Power Man looked over at Kato- _of course the catnip effects her as well, but I wonder why it's not nearly as bad, she's more feline than Animal..._ Kato's pupils were were large and she seemed a bit more loose, but besides that- no effect.

Taskmaster got up and noticed Kato.

"Oh well if it isn't the Temple's Guard... No threat."

"If you think I'm not a threat, then you are sadly mistaken, _human."_

She hissed and jumped towards him, which he dodged, but she kicked, hitting him in the side. She landed gracefully and Taskmaster wasn't happy.

"Nothing more than a pest then..."

"The only pest I see, is you and bug-boy."

"Hey," Spider-man protested as he shot some web at Taskmaster.

"Sorry, but you are called _Spider-_man," Kato said as she dodged Taskmaster's attack.

Nova started to laugh,

"She's got a point, web-head!"

Before any of them could hit him again, Animal landed on Taskmaster's shoulders, putting the catnip bag over his head. Her eyes were still slits and she was still twitching and snarling, but breathing through her mouth could only do so much.

"HIT HIM!" She yelled at the group. She stayed on his shoulders as Kato hit him- using her claws to scratch deep. A few seconds later and he was on his knees.

"Can't see, can't copy," Animal stated. She was still highly agitated by the smell of catnip. It was really disorienting.

"Eh, he's just lucky I didn't use the poison in my claws," Kato huffed.

"You have poisonous claws," Nova asked, "That's cool! How did you make it?"

"I didn't make it, _stulta,_ it's a natural defense of my species..."

"Speaking of," Spider-man asked as he hung from the ceiling of the temple, "What species are you anyway?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Kato smirked then her eye twitched.

The catnip was getting on her nerves as well as Animal's

"Can someone get the freaking nip out of here," they both exclaimed.

Spider-Man nodded webbed the bag and contents into a web ball and threw it as far as he could.

Animal nodded her thanks and stuck her feet in Taskmasters back, making him cry out in pain as a few growth plates came out of his spine. He crumpled to the ground, not bothering to get back up.

"Why didn't you breathe through your mouth," Kato asked.

"I was, but once I get a good sniff I become...Not myself..."

"If that's true than how come the effects were worse on you," Spider-Man asked.

Alex sighed.

"Well, all felines have the same weakness-which would be catnip. Imagine all types of cat-any kind, big small, house cat, jungle cat, etc. rolled up into one. That would be me. I don't know if your aware of this or not, but I was made with the DNA of all the animals that have ever stepped foot on the Earth, and that's also why Kato doesn't like smelling me."

Nova made an 'oh' face. _Makes sense, _Spider-Man thought. Kato's eye twitched in annoyance, _the smell isn't the only reason I don't like you... She doesn't realize that over-confidence and narcissistic tendencies will lead to death- she's arrogant._

Animal hoisted Taskmaster onto her shoulder, much to his protest, but she didn't really care.

"Now," she said, "How about that idol?"


	6. An Offer

**Chapter 5- An Offer:  
**

**Third Person:**

The team plus two (Kato and Taskmaster) were making their way outside the temple where they would meet Coulson and a heli-carrier to take Taskmaster away. It would take roughly five to ten minutes for them to arrive so in the mean time they were just going to pass the time waiting, bored.

Kato wasn't too sure about what to make of the team. She liked Tiger, Power Man, and Iron Fist the best simply because they were the calmest and most level-headed. Spider-man was humorous and she found him amusing. Nova was almost as arrogant as Animal- therefore she liked those two the least. At least Nova was somewhat amusing.

Likewise, the team wasn't too sure about what to make of Kato. She was a bit mysterious, odd, and cat-like. Power Man thought she was kind of cute for a cat and pretty cool. Iron Fist liked the way that she was calm in times of distress. Nova thought that she was almost like Animal's long-lost-sister or something. Spider-man thought that Kato was... interesting and a bit judgmental. Tiger liked Kato since they were both a bit similar. She wondered how Kato could be so in touch with the feline side without losing control like Tiger has.

Animal, however, had to be the only one that didn't like her. To her, Kato was nothing but a weak kitten. Besides, when she first showed up- which happened to be practically on the same day- the team didn't like her. Yet, they liked Kato. It was a bit unfair to say the least.

"Fury's gonna be pissed that we didn't get that idol too," Spider-man pointed out.

"Then I suppose that Fury will be furious," Kato said with a small scowl, "Because you are not getting that idol."

"Why do you protect it anyway," Tiger asked curiously.

"It's an honor to do so," Kato shrugged, "It's my duty and therefore I accept it happily."

"Why is it your duty," Nova said, "~Haha I said duty."

Tiger nudged him. Kato looked slightly amused at their antics,

"My father's clan, that is his family, was the one to make the idol. They gave it to a Brazilian _tribu_, who placed the idol in the temple- a great honor, really. Therefore, it was our duty, as the givers of the idol, to protect it. So just like my grandfather, I will protect the idol and do it gladly. My father was unable to do his duty and I was unable to do it for the longest period as well so the Brazilian_ tribu_ did protect it until my return... I'm sorry, I'm babbling aren't I?"

Kato laughed slightly. Power man nodded in understanding and with a faint smile, it was glad to see that the Temple's Guard wasn't always so tight as she was when they had first met her. The others weren't nearly as loose, however, since Kato's appearance put them a little on edge.

Kato could smell the slight fear on them. She titled her head,

"Does my appearance bother you?"

"N-No," Spider-man said hastily, "Not at all."

"It does... sorry."

Kato closed her eyes slightly and they watched as the fur, cat ears, claws, and tail vanished. Standing in front of them was a beautiful girl that was their age. She had long red hair, blue eyes and pale skin. Her nails were slightly long, but _human._ Power Man, along with the other males, had to admit that she was very pretty. Tiger thought that it was pretty cool that she could go back and forth between human and animal. Animal envied the fact that Kato could go between forms.

"Is this better?"

"How did you do that," Spider-man asked as he poked her sides.

She swatted him away like a spider,

"It's a natural ability of my species."

"Which is what exactly," Animal asked, "You've done nothing but brush the question off, but if you want our trust, then you should tell us what you are."

"No one said I wanted your trust," Kato hissed, "And you don't tell me everything and we just met! But if you really want to know... I'm a Katojns."

"Is that some type of alien," Nova scratched the back of his head.

Kato scoffed,

"No, my species began here on Earth and has been here long before humans- as many hidden species have... But that doesn't matter. Katojns are good at staying hidden, so it's easy to escape human senses and their equipment..."

_For the most part,_ Kato thought sadly.

"It doesn't really matter, if we really wanted the idol, do you think you could stop us," Animal asked threateningly.

The two animal-like girls stared at each other eye-to-eye.

"Yes," Kato answered bluntly, "You are arrogant and therefore more prone to failure and weakness whether or not you realize it."

"Be calm," Iron Fist said as he stepped between the two girls, "There is no need to fight here..."

Power Man nodded,

"He's right, we shouldn't be fighting.."

"I'm sorry if I seam arrogant, but I have room to be arrogant. My...Experience makes up for that."

Kato scoffed and Animal glared.

"What kind of experience would someone like you have?"

"Try being made for the sole purpose of killing the team you joined, losing an arm, going half blind, not having any parents, and not even knowing how old you are," she snarled.

The team looked at her shocked. Then again, that would explain why she was like all of the Avengers rolled up into one.

They watched as she muttered to herself, trying to get the small piece of Taskmasters blade out of her arm. Iron Fist couldn't completely understand what she was saying, but he did catch bits and pieces of it.

"...Can't be happy...People will get hurt...Mile in my shoes..."

"Oh that's nothing," Kato snarled, "In cause you didn't notice, I'm blind in one eye as well. You know how? My mother did it just before she casted me out!"

Kato was snarling and hissing at Animal. The others were slowly backing up, not wanting to get in the cat-fight (almost literally).

"I'm not going to go shouting my life story, it isn't worth it. I am not some... some _stulta aroganta hundino._"

The two girls were glaring at each other._ Just maybe we're more alike than I thought, _Animal thought.

"This isn't a competition," Spider-man finally said, "So why don't we just calm down?"

"I'll calm down when she realizes that she is not the only one that goes through hell. She is not arrogant because of the way she fights. She is arrogant to think that she is the only one to go through hell. Being arrogant of others is dangerous and stupid... I know what's it like to not want to have friends because it's too dangerous, but at the moment, the only reason I don't have friends is simply because I don't deserve them. She is arrogant because she doesn't realize how lucky she is to have freedom and the friends- people that will fight for her, fight with her- now that is an accomplishment."

Animal continued to glare at Kato, though a part of her thought that she might have a point. Spider-man and the others realized that both girls must have gone through several types of hell- Kato maybe more so from the way she spoke. Though Power Man admired Kato, she was right- he realized. Other people went through their own versions of hell, so it was wrong to think that you had it the worse. He smiled faintly- though he was the only one.

"Was that a compliment?"

"Don't over think it."

They were just glad-glad and relieved-when Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived. Alex stood up.

"It was nice meeting you and everything, but I should be on patrol."

Coulson looked at Animal quizzically as she stopped right next to him.

"Your favorite action figure says hi."

With that, she and Taskmaster disappeared into the Helicarrier. Coulson looked at Kato,

"Oh, you must be that temple guard? On behalf of SHIELD we would like to thank you for your assistance."

"My pleasure," Kato purred, "Though I must admit it- you have quite a team here..."

Coulson smiled,

"A team that you might have a place on, if you would like. General Fury of SHIELD would like to offer you a spot on the team. Should you accept, you're welcome to live on the helicarrier and contact any friends or family to let them know of the arrangements."

"I don't have friends or family," Kato said coldly, "And I... I'd rather decline that offer to join. With all due respect..."

"Very well, but we have to stay in Brazil for a little while longer... You're welcome to stay on the helicarrier to rest until we depart... I can imagine that the temple isn't too comfortable."

"Now that is an offer that I will happily accept."

* * *

Alex was in a rotten mood. Someone who was willing to live in a jungle and guard a paper weight did deserve to have friends. And what she had said about Alex being arrogant because she thought she was the only one to go through hell, and disregarded the friends she had made. The only reason she did that was so they wouldn't get hurt because of her. Too many had already been murdered because of the choices she made and she didn't want that happening again. Even though she had friends in tights, she still felt...Lonely.

She would never admit it though. She didn't want them to worry.

Alex sent another robot inside of the wall and turned to glass in the training room where she knew Fury was watching-waiting-for her to lose her cool. They had been waiting since day one. Waiting for her and her brother to make a move _against _the Avengers. It was always like that.

Alex couldn't help but think of the kids she had been teaching at a dojo when Ringleader had blown it up.

She sent her bare foot through another robot, ripping out its core with her foot.

She sighed.

_Like fighting is gonna help,_ she thought, _I should just go flying. _

As she was heading into the roof she ran into Kato- literally.

"Sorry," she muttered as she continued fiddling with her arm, only paying half attention to the situation. Kato looked at her curiously,

"I.. I wished to apologize as well. Fighting each other will not make anything better and I do realize that you probably feel that if you make friends that they will get hurt, right? That's why you disregard them, for their safety?"

Alex narrowed her eyes,

"And just how would you know?"

"Because I feel the exact same every day. But I thought that you should know, having friends isn't dangerous. Yes, they can get killed, but not because of you. Look around, your friends are warriors and they fight every day. They fight whether you are their friend or not... But if you are their friend, their chances of survival go up. Look, I can't tell you what to do or what to think, but your friends look like they can take care of themselves pretty well... Just thought you should know that you should cherish them while they are still here, because one day they won't be- that's just life. I only wished that my friends were still around and I think of them everyday, so... just be happy with them, okay?"

With that, Kato disappeared giving Alex/Animal a lot to think about.

* * *

"That was a pretty good speech back there," Power Man commented as Kato walked through the hall.

"You heard all that?"

"Every word- by accident, I mean since I wasn't spying or anything..."

Kato chuckled,

"Of course you weren't, I would've smelled you... And thanks, I suppose."

"So were you really speaking from experience?"

"About losing friends and all that junk? Dead serious, literally."

"You know if you accept the offer, you can have us as friends."

Power Man looked at the girl beside him. She shook her head sadly,

"Even then, I can't... I have to protect that idol, if anything at least it will give a bit of honor to my name and trust me there's a lot of dishonor to make up for."

"What, did you prank your clan's chief or something," Power Man joked.

"No," Kato laughed, "Well actually, I did play a few pranks, but that's not why there's dishonor... It's a rather long story and I don't plan on telling it anytime soon."

As Kato was about to walk through the door to the room she would be staying out, Power Man added one last thought,

"So I guess that means that the dishonor has to do with that scar and your mom, right?"

Kato turned slightly, and nodded. Then, she disappeared into the room.


	7. The Friendship

**Chapter 6- The Friendship**

**Kato:**

I was a bit frustrated with myself. In a matter of one day, I managed to spill more about myself than I have in years of knowing someone. I hit the bed with a frustrated groan. _Why did I do that? I never spill and I never get all feel-y and crap._

I curled into a ball on the bed. It was comfortable. It was the most comfortable bed that I had ever laid in for the past... well... years. How long had it been anyway? Six years I was sure. It was about six anyway. Six years of hell, six years of absolute pain and torture- six years of loneliness. Well, five years of loneliness and pain, one year of listening to my friend's screams in fright.

Animal was interesting, or should I have said Alex? I overheard the others speaking- the props of having heightened senses. _So Power Man is Luke, Tiger is Ava, Animal is Alex, Spider-man is Peter, Nova is Sam and Iron Fist is Danny._

They were all interesting humans, I would give them that much. Ava reminded me much of myself, as did Alex even if she was... tense. Power Man was pretty cute... All in all, however, they were a great group of friends, like a family. After all, the blood of the convent is thicker than the water of the womb- which meant that sometimes your chosen family is stronger than your blood family... It was just like how my friends and I were...

At least, it was how we were before we both captured. Moriko only lasted a year before they killed her. A whole year of listening to her screams, watching them hurt her... _mia kompatinda fratino... My poor sister... We were more than just best friends, you were my sister... I hope that my words reach you in the forest of the beyond._

_Man these blankets are comfy,_ I thought to distract myself from bad thoughts. I yawned and stretched like a cat. I started to curl into a ball and finally, I fell asleep where nightmares greeted me.

**Alex**

I smiled as the wind whipped through my hair. I also couldn't stop thinking about what Kato had said. She did have a point...In a way. She was...Interesting. I laughed, thinking about Gear. That's exactly what I told her before I declared her my friend.

I also hadn't realized how much of a butt I was being, thinking that only Axel and I had been through hell. Yeah, we didn't have parents, but getting thrown out by one? Any family member with a shred of decency wouldn't have done that. Then again, she isn't human. She was a Katojns. Then again, I wasn't really human either.

I sighed and landed on the Helicarrier without a sound and looked up. In New York you could never see this many stars, or such a large round moon. It was astounding to say the least.

I yawned and thought about the last time I had slept. A week maybe? Maybe longer?

I wasn't much of a sleeper, and could last longer than humanly possible without it. I didn't really like it for a number of reasons. It was uncomfortable on my back, side, and stomach, I always woke up in a bad mood, and most of all...Nightmares.

Even though Axel and I were rid of the Ringleader she still tormented us. I shook my head.

_I can last another night or two._

**Third Person:**

The next day, Kato led the team through the village with cat-like grace and ease. The tension between her and Alex had faded when both of them had apologized to each other- though Kato still wouldn't spill the beans on her story. Still, Kato was pretty tempted to tell Power Man or Alex her story. Both of them were the ones she trusted the most with such a story.

It was pretty funny really- that she trusted those two and she couldn't explain why. Power Man seemed reasonable, she supposed, and the most trustworthy. She knew that Alex had been through similar things as her. _Perhaps one day, I will speak to her about what happened to me, if only to get her to understand and perhaps we shall be friends..._

No, they couldn't be friends- she didn't deserve friends, not after the things she had done. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"They seem to have a high respect for you," Luke commented.

"Hmm? Yeah, they do, they don't know what you guys know- ya know? But they do that I am the one that had bested their best warrior."

"Why did you do that," Ava scoffed, "Doesn't sound really fair since you're-"

"-I can assure you, it was very fair," Kato interrupted, "Their best warrior is also the warrior of a nearby Katojns _tribu- _not that they know that, of course... We were evenly matched in battle... Well, sort of since I won."

She laughed slightly.

"Wait, there's a tribe-thingy of your species nearby," Nova said, "Why don't you just go there instead of sit around in that temple all day?"

"Complications. I go there occasionally, to visit mostly, but my duty is to protect the idol and that is a full time job. It's not something that I can just take lightly."

"You weren't at the temple last night and you aren't there now," Luke pointed out.

"Yes, but I can still hear and smell the things near the temple and near me. I'm fast so I could get there easily enough. It's no issue, but the _tribu_ is on the other side of the jungle and that's too far so I've only been there twice. When I first arrived in Brazil and when I visited them."

"So I guess that means you haven't always been in Brazil," Spider-man asked, "But you have to protect the idol..."

"I already explained the idol," Kato rolled her eyes, "My father was a Mexican clan, so it's reasonable that they gave the idol to the nearest tribu- which was the one here in Brazil- as a sign of peace... I used to live in America though, a long time ago."

"Can't be that long," Sam scoffed, "You're like what sixteen?"

"Seventeen and it's been about six years or so years."

With that, Kato stopped answering any more questions- though there was a lot of questions that everyone still had.

"Stop pestering her," Luke finally said, "She doesn't want to talk about it, so we shouldn't ask."

Kato gave a small, wry smile,

"Thank you."

The they turned their attention to Alex, who, thanks to a special chip she had added to her arm last night, was looking normal.

"What about you? Even Kato has spilled more beans than you, and we've now you for a couple days longer than her," Nova asked.

They saw her stiffen slightly and she sighed.

"I...I don't like talking about it."

"But it gets easier when you talk about it," Spider-Man sighed.

Alex sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"I was made maybe five years ago and was trained as a human...Well, human-ish weapon to kill the Avengers..."

The group, minus Kato and Iron Fist, suddenly seemed to be nervous around her all of a sudden.

"Wait-you're only five years old?" Spider-Man asked.

Alex shrugged.

"Roughly. We don't really know how long we were under there, and we've been above ground for about two years now."

"Who's we?" Luke asked.

"My brother, Axel and I. He didn't come with because he's helping the Fantastic Four with some inter-denominational crisis. Reed said it was a peace treaty sort of thing, I think."

"_You _know the Fantastic Four?" Peter asked in awe. She nodded.

"Yeah. Don't play poker with Ben, though. He's a cheater."

"How did you become half blind?" Nova continued.

"Baron Zemo from the Masters of Evil got a lucky shot."

"And...Your arm?"

"..."

"Perhaps," Danny said, "It is a good idea to not ask such...Personal questions."

"I second that," Alex said, shooting a thankful glance at Danny. "Some things are better left unsaid."

Kato shot an understanding glance to Alex before she continued leading them through the village... and then out the village. She continued to lead them through the thick jungle.

"Uh, where are we going," Spider-man asked.

"Some place fun. I figured that the village was a bit too small for a group like you and _Nova_ might piss off some villager or something bad might happen... I worked hard to gain respect there and I'm not going to loose that to be known as 'she who brought the new village idiots.'... No offense."

"Why is it so important to you to have respect in the village? You don't hang around there a lot," Nova pointed out.

"I realize that it might not be that logical, but it's the point that.. Katojns have similar clans and tribes as these people- a lot different, yes, but same basic concept... I mean, I never got the respect from my clan or my _tribu_... eh sorry, I forget you don't know the difference. Clan is a family, _tribu_ means tribe, it's a village- though the whole village is like a giant family... and I was cast out from mine."

"So by gaining respect from a similar community that reminds you of your own, your gaining your respect back for yourself," Luke guessed.

Kato nodded in agreement,

"Right... anyway, here we are."

She moved a branch, revealing the wonderful scene. It was a small lake with sparkling, clean water, a waterfall, and luscious trees around it.

"Whoa, what's this," Sam asked.

"Well, I spoke to that agent... Coulson? Yeah, well, he kind of revealed to me that you guys needed a vacation so here it is- swimming in Brazil. Don't worry, the water here is safe and I'm sure that if a wild animal comes by, Animal and I will smell it. So, you're safe."

"But you're a cat," Sam pointed out.

"I never said I was going to swim as well. I prefer just relaxing- as much as I can anyway... Here."

She tossed Sam the bag,

"Coulson packed your swimsuits, there's bushes over there to change."

At their looks, she laughed,

"What else did you think was in that bag?"

Alex chuckled slightly.

"And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor," she told Kato. Kato scoffed.

"Like you're one to talk."

"Touche. You're...Interesting."

She smiled at Kato and sat down on the ground. After a few minutes she yawned and moved to her stomach.

"Are you not going to swim?" Kato asked.

Alex shook her head.

"No, I don't like water and water doesn't like me. Well, that and my arm isn't exactly water proof."

Kato nodded, being able to relate with hating water.

Within seconds Alex was asleep.

"Hey, why isn't Alex getting in?" Sam asked.

"In many ways she is like me. Our hate for water is similar."

* * *

About an hour later, Alex started fidgeting in her sleep, and her breathing turned ragged. Kato saw Iron Fist look over with worry painted over his face. That is until Luke dunked his head underwater.

Luke gave Kato a thumbs up and a smile, a gesture which she returned happily.

Alex turned to her side and grimaced, clutching her metal shoulder. A second later she popped up faster than Kato could jump out of water. She put her shoulder into a death grip as her breathing steadied. She rubbed her face and sighed.

"Is everything okay," Kato asked.

Alex nodded.

"Yeah, it was just...Just a memory."

Then out of seemingly nowhere Nova came flying out of the trees behind them and tackled Alex, who stumbled and fell into the water.

Her cry of pain is not something anyone wanted to hear again. They all watched as she flew out of the water and ripped her arm off, changing back into her normal furry self. She landed a respectable distance away from Kato and shook the water off of her.

"Ow."

"Are you okay?" Peter asked as he ran up.

Alex nodded, not liking all of the attention.

"I'm fine, just a little electricity, and unfortunately, water."

They could see why she was upset about that. Not only was she still kind of wet, but now, she looked a little like a Pomeranian.

"Now I'm gonna have to use water to get my fur back in place," she mumbled.

"Uh...Sorry," Nova said.

Alex shrugged him off.

"Don't worry about it. My friend back home should be done with an upgrade so I'm not especially worried."

He sighed in relief and went back to swimming.

"Interesting, he gets you electrocuted, which isn't fun- I should know, yet you aren't angry," Kato mused.

"Well... he's a sort of friend, to a degree, so it's hard to stay mad at him," Alex shrugged.

"Then all of you are lucky to be such good friends," Kato smiled.

"You never really had friends," Spider-man asked.

"Just one and she's dead..."

A silence filled the air. Luke got out of the water and put an arm around Kato's shoulders,

"Well, you have us now!"

"...That sounds... nice.."


	8. Acceptance or Denial

**Chapter 7- Acceptance or Denial?  
**

**Third Person:**

Kato absently twiddled her thumbs in thoughts. Around her, the others were laughing- the pain of Alex's minor electrocution forgotten. _Should I take up the offer? It's been a long time since I have ever had a friend and they already said they counted me as a friend... unless they were just saying that. But they don't seem like the type to say hollow words and whisper false hope and promises... Gosh that sounded so mystic- I've been spending way too much time in that temple._

"So have you rethought the offer," Luke asked as he sat down beside her.

She eyed the water dripping off of him in caution, but she nodded,

"I have. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad, if maybe Coulson sends some to watch over the idol or perhaps I could speak with the Brazilian _tribu_ but that can cause issues since it's disrespectful..."

"So if we get someone to watch the idol, you'll accept?"

"I suppose. It's interesting, anyway... I just... I'm tired, so if you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap."

Luke gave a small smile,

"Understandable. It didn't sound like you slept too well last night."

"Actually," Peter said, "The way I heard it, she was too asleep and is pretty mean when she wakes up- that poor agent."

He wiped a fake tear away from his eye. Kato growled playfully and tossed a branch at him- which he dodged. Though, he had a point. Coulson had sent an agent to go wake her up and he came out of the room with a lot of scratches, minor injuries, ruined armor, and worse. Kato was not a very happy kitty when she first wakes up.

Either way, Luke had went back to swimming and Kato had climbed a nearby tree to sleep in... Only for a bit...

* * *

_Kato ran. It was what she was good at. She didn't really understand what was going on, but she knew that the men chasing her were very bad- very very bad. Beside her, Moriko- her best friend and practically her sister- ran with her. _

_"GET THEM, NOW!"_

* * *

_Kato whimpered inside the cage in pretty bad shape. They had just finished the vivisection on her and she resisted the urge to scratch at the stitches that went from her naval up to the collar bone. _

_She closed her eyes tightly as she heard her friend's screams beside her. She should be used to it. Every day they took them and experimented on them. They weren't the only ones, however. There were many different species- earthly, unknown species- that were in cages for this hell.__  
_

* * *

_No, Kato thought, no no! Not her! Not my sister! She tried to cry out, but all that came out was a whimper. She could hear Moriko's screams in the next room- she's been in there for two days. Suddenly, it was silent and Moriko never came out.  
_

_No, tears ran down her face, no no... not Moriko..._

_They've only been there one year. It was all her fault. She was the one that got cast out of her family for hurting another Katojns- almost killing. She was the one that ran away and Moriko was the one that ran after her._

_Moriko was her best friend, almost a sister, despite being a Arbaro Locutor- a highly evolved plant that is sentient, elf-like, and can actually understand and control plants. Moriko's parents were dead as was her sister- it was a reason that Kato was so close to her since she was all Moriko had.  
_

_Yet then she went and screwed everything up. She was only ten and yet she almost killed another Katojns, her mother scorned her and blinded her, and then she was cast out from the clan in dishonor and shame. _

_It wasn't too long after that Moriko had caught up with her and so did this so called government agency. _

_The government agency did nothing but experiment on them, hurt them, give them hell in so many different ways- burning, vivisection,'training', and just plain torture. _

* * *

Sam looked at Kato sleeping in the tree.

"Hey, watch this."

"Sam, don't do it," Peter warned.

Sam didn't listen. He threw the orange at Kato- who caught it just as her eyes opened. Luke noticed that she was crying slightly and he looked at her with concern,

"You okay," he asked.

"Dandy, here's your orange."

She chucked the orange at Sam- who got hit in the gut pretty hard.

"That's what you get," Ava said.

* * *

Kato blew a piece of hair out of her blue eyes. Luke and here were back at sitting on the side-lines, relaxing.

"I'll just need to know more about this SHIELD, you understand. I don't want to go in all clueless and make myself looked stupid."

They both laughed. Sam watched along with Ava, Peter, and Danny.

"Well, well, well, look at those two hitting it off. I can see the hearts in their eyes," Sam huffed.

Ava nudged him,

"Shut up, you know he's probably just trying to get her out of her shell and to accept the job. We could use someone like her."

"You're just saying that because you can relate to her."

"And so what if I am?"

Kato heard the conversation, of course, and she turned to Luke,

"So are you doing this just to get me on the team so you have another warrior- err fighter? Sorry, I spent so much time at the temple and the village that I kinda forgot a bit of stuff."

"It's fine," Luke waved it off, "And no, I'm doing it because you look like you could use a friend."

Kato smiled and he smiled back.

"Now, SHIELD," Luke started, "Is a government... thing. I'm not really sure who founded it or what the original purpose was, but it's a part of the government and-"

"-The government?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then no thanks," Kato shook her head, "I... I don't really like the government. It's... it's just well... I just don't."

"Why," Peter asked, "It's not so bad."

"Well, I'd rather not say, please respect that, so I'll have to decline the offer."

With a heavy sigh, Luke shook his head in disappoint. He was looking forward to _working_ with her.

"Guys," Peter said, "Get your suits! Coulson just called Trickmaster got loose!"

* * *

"You're all idiots!" Alex screamed at Fury.

"And you're going to help get him back," he stated, irritation lacing his voice.

"Well, duh. What happened to the security cell that I made _specifically_ for him?"

"We were using it for another villain. It was the most secure place for-"

"I don't care about that! It was designed for Taskmaster and Taskmaster only. Don't make that mistake again."

With that she turned around and jumped out of the Helicarrier, not bothering to put on a parachute.

Fury sighed and turned towards Kato.

"What about you? Are you gonna yell at me and jump out of this bird?"

"Tempting, but I think I'll fly down with Nova."

Nova cheered while Power Man had a small frown. Kato turned to Nova- she was still in her human form, but her long nails were still intimating as she held them to Nova's chest,

"But if you try anything, I will rip you apart so much that they won't even be able to tell it's your body. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Nova gulped.


	9. Unfinished Business

**Author Note:**

**Guys, please review/follow/favorite if you like the story!**

**~The Nerdlings**

**Chapter 8- Unfinished Business:**

**Third Person:**

The team headed back out through the jungle, each traveling their own way. Spider-Man was swinging VIA vines and his webs. White Tiger was running and jumping as well as occasionally jumping from tree to tree. Nova flew above them to get a sky view of things as Power Man was running. Both Animal and Kato- who was still in her human form- were jumping from the trees.

"You know what I don't get," Spider-man said as he swung from tree to tree, "Why isn't he going after the idol again?"

"Maybe it's not good enough of a target," Nova suggested.

At that, Kato turned to him, her eyes flashed yellow and she growled. Nova gulped,

"Err... I didn't mean it like that."

"What I don't get," Animal growled, "Is why the hell didn't they put him in that specially made cell? Do they even realize how much time and effort I put into it?!"

"Perhaps they are too arrogant in thinking that they could contain him themselves," Iron Fist suggested.

"And that would be reason number 56 of why I hate government facilities," Kato added.

"How many reasons do you have," Power Man asked curiously.

"About 100 or so, probably more... I really don't like the way they run things."

"Oh, how so," Iron Fist asked.

"Well, for one, they don't listen to anyone younger than them or who isn't an agent. The leader is usually some big-idiot with an bigger ego," Kato explained, "Oh! And they always think that what there doing is for the best when it's not... Plus they don't like anything different from them."

Kato got a glazed look in her eyes and Animal nodded in understanding. Power Man looked over the two in curiosity as a few different things ran through his head. _Both of them must've had some bad experiences with government facilities or facilities in general... Maybe that's why Kato won't join? Well I guess we have to convince her that SHIELD is good... or at least, I'll convince her. She doesn't deserve to be out here alone unless she's happy. _

"He's nearby," Animal and Kato said at the same time as they sniffed, "About ten feet that way."

They both pointed forward and the team got ready as they moved. Kato stopped for a brief moment as she growled.

"What's the matter," Power Man asked since he was the only one to notice her hesitation.

She sniffed the air again,

"I... Another Katojns is near, young I think. Probably a kit..."

"A kit?"

"A kitten, a child... we must be careful."

Power Man nodded,

"Got it."

_I smelt it too, but I figured that right now the top priority is Taskmaster,_ Animal thought.

"There he is," Nova shouted.

Taskmaster seemed sinister as he held a small child in his grasp- a young girl roughly four years old. She was struggling against his grip as she hissed. From head to toe, she was covered in pitch black fur. She had bright green eyes with slighted pupils, cat ears, and a fluffy black cat-tail. She wore a simple brown cloth dress that was worn and teared up slightly.

"Stop," Animal ordered, "We don't want him to hurt the kid."

Kato was growling as her bristled,

"She's but a kit... if he hurts her, I will personally escort him to hell myself..."

Power Man looked over, a bit in shock, but nodded solemnly. The others stopped in their tracks, glaring at the villain. Taskmaster turned to them,

"Well aren't you a bit slow?"

"What do you want with the kid," Spider-man asked, "I knew you were creepy, but not _that_ creepy."

"Always with the quips," Taskmaster said, "Perhaps I should have to explain it to you since you all are so very slow... I was never after the idol, I was after them," he held the girl up by her wrists as she struggled.

"Do you realize that they're a new species, imagine how much money someone would pay to have a child like this, an animal that can easily be tamed," Taskmaster continued, "A soldier, a good one too... Perhaps even a better assassin."

"You cannot do that," Kato growled as her eyes were shining yellow with a slighted pupil, "I, _we_ will not let you... The _tribu_ will come after her and they will get her back..."

"With a large bag of catnip, they can easily be distracted," Taskmaster said dismissively, "And once I find out where the others are, I will not only distract them, _I will kill them_- at least the adults... The kids are much more easily tamed."

Kato hissed in disgust at the man,

"And people wonder why my kind hides from people like you..."

"Your kind? Oh you're that cat," Taskmaster said thoughtfully, "Interesting, I was unaware that you could change forms... That will add to your price."

"Get him," Animal growled, "Before I kill him myself."

Both Animal and Kato were growling at Taskmaster, staring concerned at the young girl.

"Distract him," Spider-Man order, "Go!"

Nova flew up and shot a few blasts at the villain, which he easily dodged- the girl still in his grasp. As the team each shot different attacks at the man, Kato worked on getting closer.

"I can do it," Animal offered.

"No, she is my kind and therefore my responsibility, I know her mother... I will get her..."

Animal nodded and went back to trying to distract Taskmaster. She flew in front of him, launching herself for a kick at his face. As she did that, Kato came up behind Taskmaster and slashed at his arm, making him cry out as he dropped the girl. Kato snatched up the girl and got her away from the villain just as Animal's foot connected with his face.

"This isn't over," Taskmaster snarled, "Because I will get them..."

With that, he disappeared into the brush. Just as the team was about to go after him, Animal stopped them,

"We have more important things right now."

She motioned towards Kato and the child.

"You're right," Iron Fist agreed, "Protecting the youth secures the future... And it's the right thing to do to return the young one to her family."

"Wow," Tiger commented, "Who knew that Kato had a way with kids?"

"What do you mean," Power Man asked.

"Take a look, yourselves."

They all turned to Kato. She was still on the ground, just sitting there with the young girl in her arms. The team didn't even notice that Kato had transformed into her Katojns form. The girl was so small, even for a four year old, and much smaller than Kato. The girl must've been barely three feet tall, very thin, and must've weighed only 30-35 pounds- a lot smaller than Kato's 5' 7" frame. The child, while cradled in Kato's arms, looked so helpless and peaceful. The child looked sleepy and yawned as she cradled into Kato's chest and arms.

A purring sound vibrated through the air as Kato comforted the child.

"Is that... her purring," Nova asked, "Wow, she really is a cat."

"It's both of them purring," Animal informed, "I can hear both of them."

"It sounds like it's one sound," Power Man pointed out, "How could you tell it's both of them?"

"It's a comforting thing," Kato explained, overhearing their conversation, "We are cat-like, yes. As a way of showing affection and comfort, we do purr. When purring is in sync, it symbolizes that bound that all Katojns have. Yes, I might have been kicked out by my family, but that doesn't make me any less of a Katojns."

She stood up slowly, holding the sleeping child in her arms.

"Her name's Vaquinha," Kato informed, "I met her when I first came to Brazil when she was three... Granted, I did have to transform so she would calm down in my presence... I'm pretty sure that her birthday is in a few days, so we have to get her back to her _tribu_ before then... Plus, we also have to warn them about that Taskmaster, correct?"

"Right," Power Man agreed.

"Interesting," Animal commented as she smiled at the sleeping child, "Her name's Vaquinha, that means _kitty_ in Portuguese."

"Yes," Kato agreed, "If a child is named cat, or something similar, in their native tongue it's a sign of respect for the future, a way to bless the child, and a way to give them good luck. Of course that's just superstition, after all, my name means cat in Esperanto and that wasn't much luck for me."

Kato gave a small smile,

"But we really do have to get back quickly."

"So she can celebrate with her family, yeah we get it," Tiger said.

"It's not just that, it would be her fifth birthday, and that's kind of a big thing. It's when a child gains their human form- well, they always could, but they never could access it until they learn how to do so, so on their fifth birthday they are taught how to transform by their parents and the chief. It's a great thing, really."

"Wow, you have a lot of different things for your species," Nova whistled, "All that honor and stuff..."

"We're not just a different species," Kato said dryly, "There's a lot of different cultures within our species as well, like I said, we're just as diverse as humans..."

"Enough chat," Animal snapped, "We need to go warn them."


	10. Katojns

**Chapter 9- Katojns:**

**Third Person:**

"So, Kato," Nova said as he walked along side her, "What should we expect when we get there?"

"Cats," Kato said with a smirk.

"Ha-ha," Nova stuck out his tongue, "But seriously?"

"Seriously? The _tribu_ is a lot different than most around the world, so they will welcome you- though don't expect that with any other clans or _tribu's_."

"Wait," Power Man asked, "Your people are all around the world?"

"There's about one _tribu_ per continent," Kato said as she thought, "At least, I'm pretty sure there is... There's many twenty per _tribu_ plus a chief and then there may be one or two that were outcasts..."

"That's not very many," Spider-Man pointed out, "Just how many of your species is left?"

"I'm not sure," Kato answered honestly, "I don't hear from a lot of them, but that's mostly because every other _tribu_ out there doesn't like me because of my status as dishonored and shamed expect for this _tribu..._ But I'd say maybe about... Maybe 140 Katojsn, more or less... Of that 140, maybe 1/4 are kits, 1/4 teens, and so forth... Maybe about 20 individuals that are half-breeds."

"Why is there so little of you," Power Man asked, "I mean, you guys seem pretty strong."

"Many reasons," Kato answered as she adjusted the child in her arms, "Sometimes they kill each other due to feuds, humans kill us thinking we're just animals, humans capture us... we die out and interbreed."

Kato smiled as she looked down at Vaquinha, who was still in her arms.

"Interbreed," Nova asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Breeding with someone who isn't a Katojns," Kato explained, "Doing that knocks out the Katojns gene rather quickly, usually by the second child... It's not very common since Katojns are cast out for partnering with humans."

"I guess that won't be a problem with you," Power Man joked.

Despite the bad joke, Kato did laugh slightly,

"Yeah, but they don't just breed with humans. There are other species, _Earthen _species that humans don't know about that are sentient and Katojns occasionally get together with... Though they're only cast out if it's a human..."

Kato shook her head slightly and Animal sighed,

"We understand, but you know not all humans are bad?"

"Well, I know that, after all, you guys are pretty okay," Kato laughed, "But eh, no offense, I just don't trust governments..."

"I don't think anyone does," Spider-Man added, "I mean honestly, you should hear some of the conspiracies..."

* * *

Vaquinha giggled as she followed Kato, batting at Kato's tail ever so often.

"Are you sure it's okay for her to just be walking around," Power Man asked.

"Kids wander," Animal warned with a small frown, "We should keep a close eye on her. We don't want her to get lost or hurt."

"She's fine," Kato smiled, "Kits, and yes they are kits as in _kittens_, may wander around, but they don't stray too far from the adult- which in this case, she sees me as the adult since I'm the only Katojns."

Vaquinha giggled again as she jumped onto Kato's back and nibbled at Kato's ear, causing Kato to hiss slightly.

"Umm... I don't know kids that well, but I'm pretty sure that _that_ isn't normal," Nova pointed out.

"With Katojns it is," Kato growled, "It's the teething stage for their fangs, but they outgrow it by age six."

"I thought teething was for like when you're a year old or something," Spider-Man mused.

"Not with my species, unluckily," Kato growled, "This is rather painful..."

Vaquinha continued to nibble and bite at Kato's ears like a kitten would do with a mother cat. Animal looked at the scene with a smile.

"It is rather funny," Iron Fist spoke to Animal, "In cats, doing such things suggest a strong bond... So it is rather humorous to see them acting like that."

"I just like kids," Animal shrugged, "So I think anything they do is pretty funny."

Kato didn't find it nearly as humorous as Vaquinha bit her ears. If the ear-biting wasn't enough, then it was the fact that Vaquinha had her claws digging into Kato's shoulders and back.

"Here," Power Man said as he handed Vaquinha a small piece of bark, "Thought this bit help."

Vaquinha sniffed at Power Man and then at the bark before she deemed it okay. She bit into the bark and started to scratch and bite at it. Vaquinha jumped from Kato's back, the bark in her mouth, to in front of Kato- who caught the girl. Vaquinha settled into Kato's arms, squirming slightly, but comfortable as she scratched and nibbled at the bark.

Kato gave Power Man a thankful smile,

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Totally lovebirds," Nova muttered as he crossed his arms, then louder he continued, "So how much longer?"

"Two days, maybe three. We gotta hurry to get there in time and even then that's cutting it close," Kato informed.

* * *

"Let's set up here," Alex told the group. They only needed one more day of travel, and all of them were thankful for it-especially Alex. She could only go so long with only one arm. Not only that, but the sooner they finished the mission, the sooner she could get back to New York. Not only that but Axel was back from Zartog. It wasn't a gut feeling. The twins had a mental link that disappeared when one of them were in separate dimensions or unconscious. They couldn't, however, send direct thoughts. Only images and feelings, and sometimes shared the same dream together, but they made it work.

"I agree. We still have one more day ahead of us," Kato said, "During that time I will tell you about Katojns. In the mean time I-"

"I'll take the first watch," Alex cut in.

"No way," Spidey protested, "You've taken first watch the past two nights. Also, you haven't slept since the springs, and you never woke any of us up until morning."

Alex shrugged.

"It's no big deal. I hardy ever sleep anyway."

Iron Fist gave her a worried look.

"Why not?"

Alex rubbed the back of her neck.

"It's...Complicated...Sorta...I just don't like sleeping."

She started to set up the camp while everybody just stared at her.

"Well, if you're so sure," Nova said, sitting down on the blanket Alex had just put down.

"What's the longest you've gone without sleep," Tiger asked, worry lacing her voice.

Alex thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Two weeks and three days at the most. At the least, six days. Like I said a few minute ago, I don't like sleeping."

"But you only had like an hour of sleep at the springs," Power Man protested.

"I've gone longer with even less sleep than that. Really it's no big deal."

"No. I forbid you to take watch tonight," Spidey said, shaking his finger in front of her face. She swatted it away and threw a glare at him.

"I can and I will. You guys need more sleep than me."

"You're to stubborn to give in, aren't you?"

Alex smirked.

"What gave it away?" she asked sarcastically.

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"At least let one of us stay up with you. I know it can get pretty lonely."

"You don't need to do that."

"Oh, pish posh, yes we do."

Iron Fist stepped forward.

"I will gladly stay up with her if it mean she won't be lonely"

"But I-"

"It's settled then," Spidey interrupted.

Alex sighed.

"Fine. It's obvious I don't really have a say in this."

Kato watched with a sly, catty smile. _Aww, the blossoming of a romance... _She could easily have volunteered- she loved sleep and she loved sleeping in, but she could easily sacrifice it when needed. She's gone maybe a week or more without sleep- that sort of mostly was since she had couldn't sleep with fresh wounds so bad that she could hardly breathe.

However, she noticed how quick Iron Fist was to volunteer and she might have been more of a cat than a person, but she knew that _something _was going on between Alex and Iron Fist- _oh-la-la._

* * *

Alex and Iron Fist took post a bit away from the camp so they can scout without the distractions of their friends' laughter- and there was a lot of laughter and talking.

"Thanks," Alex finally said, "I guess.. For volunteering and everything."

"No thanks is necessary. It's my pleasure."

The two smiled at each other. Meanwhile, the camp was anything but smiles. Everyone was around the fire in tense silence. Laughter was gone and they all had on solemn expressions.

"So... Kato..." Nova finally asked, "Why did you bring shame and everything? Just how did you get kicked out of your tribe or clan or whatever?"

"You mean, why did my family totally kick me out, scar me, and blind me," Kato huffed, "That's my business. At least the Brazilian tribe doesn't really care about it. They're really nice..."

She smiled slightly and looked down at Vaquinha. The little kit was snuggled onto Kato's lap, curled into a ball, sound asleep. Kato purred slightly and rubbed Vaquinha's hair,

"Ah, the little kit is finally asleep," Kato mused, "She's cute.. Ya know, when she's not biting my ears or my tail that is."

They all chuckled slightly and the tense silence was broken. One by one, each member retreated into a place to sleep. White Tiger was distanced from them, sleeping on the ground using a rock as a pillow. Nova was asleep on a rock. Spiderman made a hammock using his webs. The only two left awake at the camp was Kato and Power Man.

"Do you ever miss them," Power Man said as he stared into the fire, "I mean... I missed my folks when I thought they were gone. Thankfully, I found them again..."

"I miss the bond," Kato responded softly, "I don't miss my parents, not personally, but I miss that family bond... Perhaps that's why I'm so eager to go see the _tribu_... It's not the same, but it's close- Just like Vaquinha, she's not of my own family, but I have a small bond with her- even if it's not the strongest... And I'm sorry you lost your folks, even for a brief time... This just isn't the same thing... My parents are probably dead, yes, but they won't be coming back. Even if they were alive, if we met again, they wouldn't welcome me back."

"Then what would they do?"

"Probably fight me, maybe kill me."

Power Man whistled,

"Man, your species is brutal."

"Not really, I think it was just my parents..."

"Oh, yikes... I'm sorry."

Power Man scratched at his head. Unconsciously, he found himself moving closer to Kato- sitting exactly right by her side.

"Don't be, not your fault," Kato smiled, showing slight fangs that caused Power Man to wince.

She quickly closed her mouth,

"Sorry, I... I know this form isn't exactly all that pleasant."

Power Man winced again, _man I didn't meant that..._

"Look, it doesn't matter what form you're in, 'cause it doesn't matter what you look like. What matters is what's inside."

Kato covered a chuckle,

"Sorry, that was a nice thing to say, but it sounded really cliche... We should probably get some sleep, huh?"

"Yeah... How are you going to do that with the kid- I mean _kit_ in your lap?"

"I'll think of something."

Power Man shrugged and sat on the ground, using the log that they were sitting on as a neck reset. He didn't notice that he was right by Kato's legs and he didn't notice the way that she almost jumped.

Kato moved her legs slightly and gave up trying to get comfortable. Finally, Vaquinha moved slightly and Kato picked the girl up in her arms, careful to wake her, and the two moved to a spot under a tree.

* * *

"Aw, isn't that cute," Nova cued, "We should totally take a picture!"

"Shh... don't wake them," Ava nudged him.

Ava didn't want to admit it- but she just didn't want to bother her new friend. At least, she thought of Kato as a friend.

Kato was leaning against the tree and in her lap was Vaquinha. The little girl was sitting on Kato's lap with her head resting on Kato's shoulder. Kato's arms were wrapped around the young girl protectively and her knees were raised slightly.

"Well, someone has to wake them," Alex pointed out.

They all gulped in fear.


	11. The Tribu

**Chapter 10- The Tribu**

**Third Person:**

Kato was still growling at the team for waking her up, even as they continued on through the jungle, until they finally reached the tribe, which, everyone was thankful for. Nova had whined almost the entire way there.

It was a bit different than from what everyone had expected. They were all out in the open, yet looked as if they could disappear in a moment's notice. All around the team there were Katojns- about ten of them that they could see. There were three women, three men, and two children (excluding Vaquina). Most of them weren't in their Katojns form beside two of the women and all of the children. Everyone, however, did give the team weary looks- the men even stepped in front of the women and children. Yet the second that Kato stepped forward with Vanquina, the defensive stances were dropped.

Kato smiled as the children ran to Vanquina and gave her big hugs. A second later, Kato was their victim- putting Kato at the bottom of a dog... _cat..._ pile.

Power Man had to laugh as Kato's form was covered by little furball kits.

"Help," Kato laughed from the bottom of the pile.

Power Man reached down to help her up when the kids jumped onto him.

"Hey now," he protested.

Kato chuckled as the three children were dangling off of his towering form.

"_Crianças, saia do homem bom,"_ one of the woman laughed. She gave Kato and Power Man an apologetic look. Kato smiled,

_"__Eles estão bem. Por favor, poderíamos falar Inglês para o bem __da empresa,_" Kato asked politely.

The woman nodded.

"Very well," she said politely, "Now, who are your... acquaintances? Are they... human?"

"Friends," Spiderman corrected, "And sort of."

He gave a sheepish laugh and Nova laughed as well. The woman looked to Kato for confirmation, and Kato gave a nod.

"Yes, they are, Ana," Kato said, "There's some business that I... _we..._need to discuss with Chief Aldo."

Ana nodded.

"Very well, but first, we all must thank you for bringing Vaquina back. A proper thank you... So tonight- We celebrate! For you have brought our little Vaguina back in time for her birthday!"

Kato grinned and the others gave a confused smile.

* * *

Alex sat on a rock and watched as Kato and Vaquina continued to be greeted with open arms. She smiled.

_She thinks she doesn't deserve friends, _she thought, _And yet, here she is, being surrounded by them. Very ironic, really._

She chuckled to herself while Iron Fist sat down next to her. She was to busy thinking and watching the kids run around and play to notice his presence at first. Only when he spoke did she realize he was there.

"Are you sure you are okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and shot him a smile.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just a little homesick. I've never been out of New York for this long, you know? Not only that, but next week is the Death Day."

He gave her a quizzical look.

"Death Day? For whom?"

_Curse me and my big mouth, _she thought.

She sighed and shrugged.

"Eh, don't worry about it."

"When you say that it only makes us worry more. You can speak to s if you need to do so. You are aware of that, yes?"

She nodded and sighed again.

"Well, it was one year, eleven months, and twenty-four days ago. We were at a dojo owned by your company, I believe. I had been hired there, Stark's orders, and..."

Iron Fist looked at her shocked. He remembered something like that. One of his dojos had mysteriously blown up, and most of the students there had passed on. There were only three survivors, and one of them had been Alex. He was suddenly sorry for pressing on. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You do not need to finish. I know what happened."

Kato, from the distance, heard the conversation- as did the others Katojns. The difference between Kato and the others was that Kato acknowledged it. She turned away from Vanquina and Power Man- both of whom she was speaking of. She gave Alex an understanding nod, her eyes filled with pain. Alex nodded back.

* * *

"Shouldn't we warn them about Taskmaster now," Spiderman whispered.

Kato scowled,

"They won't take it to heart just yet. I.. well _we_ have to speak to Chief Aldo. He'll understand the danger of the situation better and the whole _tribu_ listens to him."

Spiderman nodded like he understood- even if he didn't really.

Currently, Spiderman, White Tiger, Power Man and Kato were all sitting on a log around the fire at the _tribu_. Kato was currently in human form, but that didn't stop Vanquina from sitting in Kato's lap, sound asleep. Across from them, on the other log sat a few members of the _tribu_. Alex and Iron Fist were nearby, situated near the tree. Nova was annoying one of the men of the _tribu_- asking annoying questions.

As time passed on Alex became more antsy and jumpy. She just knew that something was going to go wrong. She felt it in her gut. However, she didn't show it. She just kept talking to Iron Fist as if nothing was wrong, She didn't want anyone to worry-not until they saw the chief.

"So, what's your favorite type of music," Alex asked Iron Fist.

He thought for a moment.

"I like zen the most, but I will also listen to orchestra."

Alex nodded.

"I like orchestra too. It's fun to beat box to. I also like classic rock and rap."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you could give a demonstration of your beat box skills later on."

Alex shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe. It's kinda weird doing it without Axel though. See, I usually do it while he's singing the main part so it's more realistic, you know?"

He nodded and smiled at her.

She rubbed the metal socket where her arm should have been nervously. He looked at her quizzically.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"No, it's just the weather. There's going to be rain later on."

"...And you can tell by your stump?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, it always starts to ache when the weather gets all droopy. Then again, we are in a jungle, so I'm not particularly surprised it's going to rain."

"You're better at predicting the weather than an actual weather man."

She laughed, and Iron Fist smiled. Her laugh was nice and soft, and unlike all the other times, it wasn't forced.

Kato looked over at Alex and Iron Fist curiously and grinned.

_They like each other, _she thought, _But they are completely oblivious to each other's feelings for one another. It's rather funny actually._

_S_he was pushed out of her thoughts by Power Man, who was offering her some fruit, which she gratefully took.

* * *

Kato pet Vanquina on the head comfortingly as the child rested in her lap. She felt the corners of her mouth turn into a small smile at the kit. Ana, though she was Vanquina's mother, enjoyed the fact that Vanquina had attached to Kato since the kit needed another person to attach to besides parents- and she wasn't making that bond with others in the _tribu._

The _tribu_ was like a large family with everyone taking care of each other. At least, it was that way in Brazil. Kato knew for a fact that other _tribus_ were a bit different- _'you're a part of the family and we'll always love you... until you make a mistake'_ seemed to be the Irish and Mexican _tribu_'s rule.

She wondered where she might be if she didn't make her mistake, if she didn't get captured, or if Moriko wasn't captured as well. Would she be this happy? It didn't really make sense for her to be happier now, even if she was still sad about Moriko, than she was when she was with her family. Perhaps it was because her _'real'_ family didn't really act like a family, yet this _tribu_ and the team acted like it. It made her feel loved.

She smiled to herself as everyone else slept. Yet, she, Power Man, Alex, and Iron Fist were awake. Yet, Alex and Iron Fist were a bit off from the fire and camp to keep watch.

"You really should get some sleep," Kato said to Power Man, "We don't know when Taskmaster might show so you need the rest."

"So do you," he pointed out.

Kato just shrugged and shifted a bit awkwardly. The shifting caused Vanquina to wake up. The kit whimpered and tossed and turned. Kato's eyes widened,

"Aw, poor kit... Shhh shh. It's okay..."

The kit didn't calm down and there were tears in her eyes- obviously having a nightmare of sorts. Power Man looked panicked- not knowing what to do.

_"Hush little baby,"_ Kato sang softly, "_don't say a word, momma's gonna get you a mocking bird..."_

Power Man's eyes widened when he heard her sing- it was soft, beautiful. It wasn't rough like he expected- it was just melodic.

The angelic voice made Vanquina calm down and go back into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_"Saudações, Chefe Ado_," Kato greeted with a small bow.

In front of her and the team stood Chief Ado. He was very tall and broad shouldered. Despite the fact that he was obviously older- being roughly in his seventies- he did still have muscles. He was in human form so they could see all the winkles on his face and the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. He wore dark clothes that were similar to the other men's. Yet, he had a red feather in his hair and his hair was longer, being in a small short ponytail.

"_Saudações_,"Chief Ado greeted, "Now, I'm told that you have news for me."

"I... I failed," Kato said softly.

Chief Ado looked at her in shock and disappointment. Kato kept her eyes down.

"It was my job to protect the idol, but it was also my job to keep our species in secrecy. These outsiders are my friends, yes, and they are to be trusted. But one has found out about us. He is... Not good."

"That doesn't mean you failed," Power Man said comfortingly, "You didn't know..."

He turned to the Chief,

"Look, there's a villain by the name of Taskmaster. He wants to capture all Katojns to make a profit. He's a big threat and we're here to stop him."

"All of us," Spider-Man added, "are here to help."

Chief Ado pursed his lips but nodded.

"I trust Kato's judgement, for she is, the majority of the time, correct. However, if you harm any of us in any way, we will not hesitate to tear you limb from limb."

They all nodded nervously-minus Kato, who knew he was most likely bluffing.

"Iron Fist!"

They all whirled around to find Iron Fist flying towards them, but no Alex in sight.

Kato sniffed the air.

"He's here."


	12. Settled

**Chapter 11- Settled  
**

**Third Person:**

Alex was dodging Taskmaster's attacks more than actually fighting him. If she did that, he would be able to copy, and nobody but him wanted that. All she needed to do was stall him. Unfortunately that did involve throwing a few punches or kicks.

Alex knocked him to the ground with one of her infamous round house kicks to the face. He got up again and tried doing the same, but she caught his leg and threw him into a nearby tree, away from the village. She hissed and growled at him as he charged, his sword drawn. However, before he could slice Alex, a tall bulky figure dropped down from the sky. Alex sniffed the air and her face grew into a grin.

"I was wondering when you would show up."

* * *

It took them longer than it should have to get to Alex. Kato had warned the _tribu_ to stay hidden and stay safe. She was sure that she, along with the others, could handle Taskmaster.

Kato sniffed at the air,

"Someone's with her and Taskmaster..."

_Smells like her, the smell is similar... Sister... No it's male... Brother then. Oh she has a brother? Cool. _

Iron Fist's face was hard and he couldn't help the small sense of worry that found its way in his head. Beside him, Power Man was watching as Kato jumped from tree to tree. She was still in human form, but her eyes were yellow in concern and anger. Small fangs were seen and her nails looked like her claws in Katojns' form- slightly long and black. She wasn't happy.

"Get away from her," a young man's voice screamed.

They ran faster and they finally reached their destination. The sight that greeted them was Taskmaster, being kicked into a tree by a guy that looked like Alex. He looked almost exactly like Alex- calico fur, wings, bare feet, dirty blonde hair, fangs, and claws. Yet, his wings were black and his both of his eyes were green.

The 'stranger' ran straight to Alex, who was at the base of a tree rubbing a hurt arm. It was then that they noticed that Alex's missing arm wasn't so missing. It looked attached, but it was obvious that she couldn't move or feel it.

"Alex," the guy said, his voice laced in concern, "Are you okay?"

"Oh shut it," Alex growled, "I'm fine."

"Good," Kato said as she jumped down in between the two, "Then you can introduce your cute brother."

She laughed as Axel gave her a shocked look. A bit away, the team was snickering- besides Iron Fist and Power Man. Iron Fist was smiling that Alex's brother was back. Power Man had a frown,

"Cute," he muttered.

Kato, hearing the displeasure in Power Man's voice, looked over with a slight blush. _Hehe, sorry but I had to see his reaction.__ It's fun to mess with people._

"Axel," the guy said, "Name's Axel. You?"

"Pleased to meet you," Kato smiled.

"She's Kato," Alex introduced, "And oh gosh, don't you two start flirtin'."

"I find it a bit funny," Axel shrugged.

"It's fun to mess with people," Kato mumbled.

"It's like a match made in heaven," Axel joked as he winked at Kato, who laughed.

Power Man frowned slightly, not pleased at the joking and the flirting between Axel and Kato. Iron Fist looked between Axel and Power Man with an amused expression- as did the rest of the team.

"That's Spiderman, White Tiger, Power Man, Nova, and Iron Fist. They're part of SHIELD."

"Cool," Axel shrugged.

"While I don't want to interrupt a nice reunion," Taskmaster growled, "I have a job to do."

"And we have a job to stop you," Kato growled.

Axel brought a hand to his ear where a hidden com was.

"Do your thing, Fury," he said. A second later there was a special glass box that surrounded Taskmaster before he could charge.

"You really think this glass box is going to stop me?" he scoffed, as he was slowly lifted into the air. Alex nodded.

"You're going to love your cell!" she yelled over the wind, "I made it especially for you!"

She laughed to herself slightly, then frowned.

"Well," she said standing up, "I better go check and make sure they do it right. And I need a wrench to connect the nerves...God, I hate it when I have to do that. Anyway, I'll be back in a few."

With that she was gone.

**Alex:**

I almost felt bad leaving them like that, but Taskmaster and my arm were on the top of my priority list. I sighed as I landed on Tasky's glass container while it was still being lifted. When we got inside I was met by Fury, who was holding out the tool that I needed.

"Is that a three by five?" I asked.

He nodded and I hopped off of the container.

"Awesome. Do me a favor and turn this nut right here. Clockwise if you please."

I took a deep breath as he did so, and resisted the urge to cry out in pain. Instead I jumped back a couple of feet, clutching my shoulder.

"Odin's beard," I muttered. I mentally face-palmed.

_Maybe I've been hanging out with Thor to much...Nah..._

"Thanks. Anyway, you're going to put him in the cell I designed for him, and I'm here to make sure it happens."

He scowled but nodded.

"For once you're actually right."

I glared at him.

"For once? I'm right ninety-two percent of the time when I'm alone. Axel is the other eight percent when he's with me. Anyway, you should listen to kids more often. They might have an idea that tops yours, Fury."

As to not give him any time to answer, I started pushing the crate that held Taskmaster.

"I'm starting to see why everyone hates S.H.I.E.L.D. They never listen to the really good advice."

**Kato:  
**

I was a bit pissed at Axel, since apparently he had SHIELD on the line and didn't call them sooner. Then again, if he had shown up sooner, along with them, it could damage relations with the Brazil _Tribu._ So I guessed that worked out. Still, I felt like we just went through everything for nothing. He went down too quickly for my tastes- I did kind of want to claw him so badly that his ancestors would feel it since he threaten all of the _Katojns. _

"If you ask nicely, Fury might let you inside the cell to punch Taskmaster," Axel commented.

I smirked slightly,

"Like you read my mind... You didn't really read my mind though, right?"

"No."

"Good. My mind's not exactly the best place to be."

I crossed my arms. Ahead of us, on the helicarrier, was the team. Alex had gone to fix up the cell, but the rest of us were just stuck conversing. Power Man glanced back at me briefly before looking away. He seemed mad at me, I wasn't sure why. Axel looked at the team and then gave me a side look.

"Let me guess, you're the newbie on the team?"

"No," I huffed, "I'm not even on the team. Taskmaster or whatever wanted this idol that was under my protection. Then I ended up with these guys to take him down."

"Considering you said _was_ _protecting_ and you guys seem to work together okay... I think you might already be on the team. Just something to think about, I guess."

I gave him a bit of look as he walked away. As soon as he disappeared, Power Man... _Luke_... came up to me.

"Every thing, alright," Luke asked.

"Oh, so now you talk to me," I pointed out with a slight scowl.

Funny thing, however. My scowl was a bit weird. I tended to mix a normal scowl while my nose scrunches and I bite on my tongue slightly. It wasn't exactly an attractive face. Luke, however, just laughed.

"I don't know if I should laugh or hand you meds," he laughed.

"Shush," I stuck out my tongue, "Not exactly heroic of you to make fun of lil' ol' me. It's mean."

"Lil' ol' you? You're perfectly capable of defending yourself," Luke pointed out, "Besides with your beauty, I'm sure you can easily trick guys into doing whatever you want."

I raised an eyebrow and he seemed a bit flustered once he realized what he said. I forced down a blush myself as the others laughed at us.

I realized something, however. Hearing them laugh reminded me of Moriko- she was a bundle of laughs. Yet, I wasn't sad. I was a bit happy to remember her and still have new friends. _Friends,_ I thought, _I called them friends more than once on this mission by accident... _

I shifted my weight uncomfortably,

"So, umm... Is the position on your team still open?"


End file.
